Three separate styles of shooting on the move at the Casa

Grande, Arizona PD Range. From left to right: Jerod Johnson,

HK rep for these parts, is low, hunched over the gun, and
moving with short steps. He is absolutely deadly. Scott Loomis
(aka Armored Car) moves more erect and with longer steps,
but is uncannily accurate. Steve Fisher—a large human—has the
grace of a wounded hippopotamus, but shoots faster and with
greater accuracy than 99% of the people the author has ever
met. The technique has to fit the user.

Shooting
On The Move
Effective Dynamic
Engagement
» BY PATRICK A. ROGERS
Delivering rounds into paper bad guys on the flat range is a relatively simple exercise.

A
cquiring the threat, getting a sight picture legedly strike fear into the hearts of the dreaded
and then pressing the trigger straight to Hun, and allow the assault to carry through the
the rear are all pretty academic. To be defenses.
sure, there is pressure, even there: performance Maybe not.
anxiety, peer pressure, plus the normal cerebral Only some could actually fire—those at the
flatulence that may occur when loaded guns are front of the assault—and while a rapid turnover
placed in the hands of many. could be expected, the volume of fire might
However, no one is shooting back—a major be less than sufficient. The terrain was seldom
stressor. And the targets are anchored firmly in clear, and physical obstacles, craters and other
place, big side toward you. distractions—like those defending the opposite
Pretty simple, no? trenches—made movement difficult.
But people still have difficulty getting solid The greatly maligned French M1915 Chauchat
hits within specific time constraints. Don’t be- Automatic Rifle was many things, but foremost
lieve me? Take a look at any of the thousands it was the first true squad automatic weapon.
of CCW classes conducted around the coun- “The technique of walking fire was felt to be the best
try—some people have a difficult time perform- manner in which to take advantage of the Chauchat’s
ing even the basic skills necessary to deliver a firepower and portability. Walking fire was basically
projectile into a specific target. firing the weapon while marching toward the enemy
to keep their heads down and suppress return fire.
MARCHING FIRE While this may have sounded like a good idea in
Shooting on the move had its genesis in theory, it didn’t work out so well in practice….The
the horribly misnamed War to End All Wars. tactics eventually shifted from emphasis on march-
With a stalemate that extended across the war ing fire to using the weapon for infantry support by
zone, raids of various sizes—some involving firing from some form of cover….” –U.S. Infantry
Divisions—were frequent. Weapons of the First World War, Canfield
Artillery preparation and counter battery The U.S. adopted a modified French gun, the
fire were common, but a rifleman still had to Caliber .30 Chauchat Automatic Rifle, Model
leave the relative safety of his trench to advance of 1918, which was less reliable than the 8mm
across no man’s land, and against the massed French version. It was a gun that was way
fire of emplaced machine guns and rifles. ahead of its time and suffered the problems of
The assaulting troops had to advance with the being adopted during wartime with insufficient
support of indirect fire and limited direct fire. attention to manufacturing.
They were defenseless as they moved up to the Later the U.S. Browning Automatic Rifle,
enemy’s trenches, where they assaulted with Caliber .30, Model of 1918 made it to the front.
fixed bayonets. Remember that the standard The BAR had a longer sling to allow it to be used
infantry rifles of the day were long and cumber- in Marching Fire, and the gunners’ war belt had
some bolt-action repeaters, with a magazine ca- provisions for six BAR magazines, two .45 pis-
pacity of five to ten rounds, and reloading was tol magazines, a pistol holster and a metal butt
a slow process. They were used for long range, cup to accept the buttstock and keep the BAR
indirect fire as well as for aimed direct fire, and supported during marching fire—schoolhouse
were inefficient for close quarter combat (result- mandated shooting from the hip, and probably
ing in the birth of the sub caliber submachine the forerunner of pray and spray.
gun and eventually, the assault rifle). The bayo- There were not very many Chauchats avail-
net was long, to provide farther reach, and the able, and the BAR only got into combat in
combination of a long rifle and long bayonet re- September 1918—less than two months before
sembled the Pike of days gone by. the Armistice.
The dogma of generals with more pomp than The U.S. had developed a device to replace
common sense prevailed, and in the middle of the bolt in the Model of 1903 Rifle with a semi-
squandering a generation’s blood across fields automatic unit firing a .30-caliber pistol type
of green, the theory of “Marching Fire” came cartridge and fed from a 40-round magazine.
into use. The “Automatic Pistol, Caliber .30, Model of
As originally visualized, as the soldiers moved 1918” was a secret, and it never made it to the
out of the trenches toward the entrenched bat- war. More commonly known as the Pederson
talions of machine guns, they would fire a sin- Device, it was designed specifically with march-
gle round of unaimed fire when their left foot ing fire in mind. It also followed the premise
touched the ground. This technique would al- that large numbers of troops indiscriminately

S.W.A.T. » JULY 2008 53

SHOOTING ON THE MOVE

firing an anemic round against a well-

entrenched opponent would somehow
shift the balance.
While Marching Fire gave way to fire
and movement at the end of the Great
War, it was resurrected during World
War II against the same enemy, though
possibly with similar results. Note that
Assault Fire, where the unit moves into
the final assault, is a different technique
where the assaulters advance the last
few meters while rapidly firing onto the
objective to suppress fire when they are
most vulnerable. To paraphrase Stalin,
the quantity of fire has a quality all its
own.
All of the above involves different
Tactics, Techniques & Procedures (TTPs)
from Close Quarter Battle (CQB)—which
is the crux of this article.

CLOSE QUARTER BATTLE ON

THE MOVE: WHY?
CQB by definition requires surgical/
discriminatory shooting. The rounds Making life easier. Hips and shoulders square to the target, toes pointed in the direction of the
fired must be directed directly into a target, and short, smooth steps, coupled with a good sight picture and proper trigger control,
threat. Anything else may wind up in a make for good hits downrange.
hostage, unknown or other team mem-
ber. L shape and brings a gun up, you have Instructor emphasized, “Shooting on the
Therefore some questions that should options. move requires two things: shooting and
be asked are: Can you be as accurate Option one is to stand still and die moving.” Keep these pearls of wisdom
while shooting on the move? Why like a man. While an option, it is not op- in mind as we stroll down this particular
would you shoot on the move in the first timal. path.
place? Another is to stand still and return Taking the shot while moving pres-
To answer the last question first, the fire. As you are behind the power curve, ents some unique issues. One is that
reasons are multiple and diverse. They it is better than Option One, but still not accuracy will be degraded. The other
can range from an Infantry Company in optimal. is that the degree of degradation will
the final assault on an enemy position, to Executing the Nike Defense (turning be the direct result of multiple inputs.
CQB with terrorists. As for accuracy, you around and running away) is likewise We have all heard that consistency is
will probably not have the same degree an option, but like Option One it is not the mother of accuracy, and that is true
of accuracy when shooting on the move optimal, as you are giving the smelly here as well. If we can keep a smooth
as when standing on your own two hind bearded man an unopposed shot. and steady gait, our hit potential goes
legs. However, how much degradation The final option is to continue to move up. But the environment and the tacti-
of that skill set can you afford to live aggressively down the hallway and cal situation may preclude this. Clearly
with—literally? close on the mutt while engaging him an interior hallway will make moving
The techniques for shooting on the with rapid, accurate shots. Your training easier. However, if an explosive device
move can vary as well, from the gross may be the decisive issue here. has been functioned, debris, fragments,
deviation for the Grunt to the smooth Not the best of things, but then again, bodies, and sprinkler system activation
flow of a police tactical team. this is either the vocation you chose or, may combine to make movement more
as a private citizen, you have been forced difficult. Exterior movement will always
HOW? into action. Like the Coast Guard says, present some degree of difficulty, as mi-
Here’s an example I use at class to jus- you don’t have to come back…. cro terrain, rocks, and such will make
tify shooting on the move. You have to For one conducting CQB—generally hits more difficult.
move down a long hallway (hallways inside a structure, and on a more or less Orient your body more or less with
being a funnel of death). level surface, here is one way that may hips and shoulders square to the direc-
If you are moving down that hallway work for you. Before you start reading, tion of travel. Keeping a collapsible stock
and an opponent leans out around the though, remember this. As one SOTG at the closed/one click open position

54 S.W.A.T. » JULY 2008 SWATMAG.COM

SHOOTING ON THE MOVE

Clint Lynch (foreground) steps off the line

and brings his SCAR-L up to the target at
a recent EAG Carbine class. Clint is bent
forward at the waist, while Stephan Hilliard
(in MultiCam) is more erect. Different body
styles require different techniques.

will help with this. Lower your center of

gravity by squatting slightly—think the
beginning of a squat thrust exercise and
you’ll be on track.
Keep your shins vertical, and your
weight over your feet. Bend your knees
so that the legs are not locked and rigid.
Understand that every shock that is trans-
mitted from the ground goes up your leg
and into the carbine. And, because there
are four points of contact with the gun—
your shoulder, strong hand, weak hand
and cheek weld—keeping the gun even
reasonably steady can be a chore.
Keep your feet pointed at the target. If While this seems to be a simple question, shot, they will do one of the following:
you are walking at a normal gait, many some answers border on over-thinking Stop: They stop completely to take the
people will have the support side foot to the tenth power. For example, when shot.
oriented toward the direction of travel I asked Marines (in several classes) this Niagara Falls: They go into the “slowly
and the strong side foot pointed out- question a few short years ago, I was I turn” routine performed by Abbott and
board. This is fine for strolling along told—emphatically—“When both feet Costello (ask your Mother). They move
River Walk, but if you are intending to are on the ground.” in super slow motion as they take the
fight it out at close range with one or Very cool. Except when are both feet shot, then regain speed after they finish
more people who hate you, it may not on the ground? Now? Now? Now? shooting, rushing to keep up with the
be sufficient. When you are moving, both feet will rest of the line. Cute….
We are all physically different, and likely never be on the ground at exactly Stutter Step: Their legs will not pass
body type, configuration, past injuries, the same time. But even if they were, is when moving, taking a long step with
present injuries and the time of day may that when you need to take the shot? one leg and then bringing the second
all factor in to how we move. Some peo- How about if you need to take the shot leg up to the first—they look like The
ple will never have the grace to move when only one foot is on the deck? Mummy as they bring their feet together.
effortlessly downrange, but may or may And how about this: If you are so This is fine for moving within a confined
not be able to deliver the rounds into the wound up trying to figure out when both space, but not so good for covering a
intended meat balloon at the other end of your feet are on the ground, what are longer distance.
of the hallway. Some may move with the you not paying attention to? Vapor Lock: This usually occurs when
style of a ballroom dancer and not hit Yes, sports fans, you are not paying faced with a malfunction. They forget
anything. You are the one pressing the attention to that smelly bearded guy at all about their Immediate Action Drills
trigger, and you are the one responsible the end of the hallway who was the rea- and halt in place. They gaze wondrously
for launching those rounds. son you are doing this shooting/moving at their malfunctioned weapon, while
Speed of movement will be dictated thing in the first place. apparently wishing/hoping that this
by two things: the speed at which you Therefore the short answer is, shoot would all go away so they don’t look
can accurately shoot, and the surface when you have the shot. See him. Shoot like a clown’s derriere.
you will be traveling over. Clearly you him. Quit over-thinking it. The Capt. Diaper Walk: Some have a
will be able to shoot more accurately by distinct lack of grace in their movement
moving slower, but that lack of down- COMMON MISTAKES and walk stiff-legged and upright, feet
range speed may negate your moving in It is often stated—correctly stated— splayed and wallowing from side to
the first place. that many train for the flat range side. Their movement makes me think
and not the fight. To that end, many of a child or the psycho Navy Astronaut
WHEN? will start off shooting on the move who wanted to make her boyfriend’s
A big issue is this: when do you shoot? correctly, but as they prepare to take a girlfriend disappear.

56 S.W.A.T. » JULY 2008 SWATMAG.COM

 SHOOTING ON THE MOVE

TRAINING ISSUES (RDS), I’ll tell you what I tell people who You are looking for something that
We have been walking since we were are trying to shoot standing still. Accept may approach a lazy figure 8 for some
wee lads, and have been more or less your wobble area. Don’t try to make (but not others). The big issue here is to
successful at it. Shooting on the move the dot stop moving—it won’t happen. keep the beam within the circle no mat-
should not be that difficult, but it seems Don’t chase the dot, shoot through the ter the distance. You may not be able to
like many make it that way. We walk ev- dot. do this in one or three of five sessions.
ery day. And we can shoot from a sta- In the end you will have to accept the You may do it once, but not immediately
tionary position fairly well. So why can’t Zen of this. Be the bullet. Trust your shot, again.
some shoot on the move? and if your training is good, and you run Don’t give up. It will happen, and the
The answer is fairly simple: We over- this often, it will probably be there. light will eventually shine over your
load ourselves with nonsense. One very good way to train is this. head. Make shooting on the move part
Shooting on the move is nothing more Next time you go into Petsmart or a of your dry practice and live fire train-
than shooting, albeit while moving. That similar store, look for something called ing, to the extent possible.
means those pesky little things like sight a “Cat Toy.” It is a small visible laser that Shooting on the move is a TTP. It may
picture and trigger control are still nec- you can use to drive your dogs and cats or may not be something that you would
essary. crazy (if you don’t have CTC grips on use, but when used effectively, it is one
Iron sights are tough, but by no means your Rings Gun). Remove the bolt from more thing that can keep you alive and
impossible to use—unless you are one your carbine and Rigger tape or zip tie ensure that the guy at the end of your
of those who insist on using the smaller the laser onto your forend. muzzle will be the one hearing the Hal-
aperture on the sight. Using the larger Place an eight-inch paper plate on a lelujah chorus in hell. §
aperture will increase the certainty of a wall—the longer the distance you have,
hit, and there are those who teach/use the easier this will be. Look through the [Pat Rogers is a retired Chief Warrant
looking over the top of the sights and do sight at the laser as it strikes the plate Officer of Marines and a retired NYPD
it quite well. while you are moving. It may well be Sergeant. Pat is the owner of E.A.G. Inc.,
I run an XS Sight Systems Big Dot on erratic. Vary your body position, stride, which provides services to various govern-
my AK, and it is extremely viable (for length of step and so forth, and see if it mental organizations. He can be reached at
me, anyway). will reduce that pattern on the plate to eag@10-8consulting.com]
If you are running a red dot sight something manageable.

SWATMAG.COM S.W.A.T. » JULY 2008 57